UNICEF direct mail campaign

Up to half the world’s child soldiers are on the African continent, and some of them are as young as nine. It’s a shocking fact, and one which UNICEF highlighted through its toy soldiers mail pack. The aim of the campaign was to garner support for its rehabilitation and reintegration programme for rescued child soldiers.

Y&R South Africa used a familiar childhood icon – the toy soldier – to deliver the charity’s message, mailing 1,000 existing supporters and potential corporate sponsors what appeared to be a packet of toy figures.

Instead, when recipients open the pack, they find the soldiers aren’t fighting but are riding bikes, reading books and doing other fun activities. This reversal evokes a combination of nostalgia in the recipients for their own childhood and drives home the message the plight of children forced into combat. 

Thousands of websites picked up on this 3D mailing creating an unintentional online viral campaign that created awareness of the charity and its work far beyond the initial mailing list.